Seder 117: On the Placement and Timing of Numbers 19

 In the religion of ancient Israel, one of the most serious kinds of ritual impurity resulted from contact with a human corpse.  While contact with a dead animal resulted in a minor impurity (Lev 11:31, 39) that only lasted "until the evening," contact with a human corpse was more serious.  During Israel's time in the wilderness, those who had had such contact were temporarily excluded from the camp (Num 5:2).  The high priest was to avoid it, even for the sake of close relatives (Lev 21:10-11).  It prevented a person from participating in Passover at the usual time (Num 9:6).  One who encountered a corpse during a Nazirite vow had to start the vow over again after a cleansing period of a week (Num 6:9-12).  

The ritual procedure for dealing with corpse impurity is laid out in Numbers 19.  It involves the application of a special mixture of living water and ashes of a red heifer on days 3 and 7 of a 7-day period.   

There seem to be allusions to this procedure in the Torah prior to Numbers 19.  The fact that a Nazirite's cleansing from corpse impurity requires a week (Num 6:9) is one.  When the Levites were set apart for service, the "water of purification" was sprinkled on them.  Presumably this is the mixture described in Numbers 19.  These allusions imply that the procedure in Numbers 19 was revealed to Moses at Mount Sinai and presumably used throughout Israel's time in the wilderness.   

The placement of the description of this procedure in Numbers 19, rather than in Leviticus 11-15 or earlier in Numbers, seems to be designed to communicate a message.  In the book of Numbers, chapter 19 is located between the story of the first generation of the Exodus (up through year 39 in the wilderness) and the story of the new generation that completes the journey to the Promised Land.  Many people died during those years in the wilderness, but the nation was cleansed and renewed in preparation for the completion of the journey.

Seder 110: Numbers 10-11---A Jarring Transition

 The first ten chapters of Numbers describe the organization of the Camp of Israel and Israel's preparations to depart from Mount Sinai.  An ideal picture is presented of the camp, which is modeled after God's heavenly camp.  Each tribe---indeed, each individual---contributed to the group effort and had a place in the camp.  With God in their midst, the camp was to be ritually and morally pure, as taught in Numbers 5-6.  

These chapters of Numbers also describe how the Israelites would break camp and travel.  The tribes, grouped into four groups of three tribes each, would arrange themselves in a set order.  The tribe of Levi was in charge of taking down, transporting, and then setting up the tabernacle in a new location.  

The nation would know where and when to travel by following the guidance of the divine Cloud that accompanied them (Nu 9:15-23).  More detailed direction would be provided by the priests through signals given by holy silver trumpets.  

The camp departed from Sinai early in the second year of the Exodus, on the twentieth day of the second month.  Their jubilant and orderly departure is described in Numbers 10, which pictures their travel as a kind of liturgical procession or victory march.  

After the beautiful ideal picture of Numbers 1-10, we start to read about the realities of Israel's wilderness journey in Numbers 11.  The nation leaves Sinai with the same set of problems which they brought there.  Complaints soon begin, then spread and escalate.  God, who had dealt patiently with the traumatized former slaves in the early stages of the Exodus, now imposes firmer discipline (Nu 11:1-3). 

Moses, who had been looking forward optimistically to Israel's arrival in the Promised Land, is shocked by what transpires.  Complaints are growing, putting the Israelites on a course for disaster.  He is at a loss to know how he can change the hearts of the people, which is what is needed to put the journey back on track.  And so he turns to God, asking for help.  He confesses his dilemma and reminds God of his promises and his ultimate responsibility for the project (Nu 11:10-15).

Seder 123: Numbers 27---The Request of Zelophehad's Daughters

 As we are reminded in Numbers 26, certain family lines of the Israelites ended in the wilderness.  For example, there were no descendants of Dathan and Abiram to inherit land in Canaan, nor were there any descendants of Er and Onan.  

There were other families with no male heir, and according to custom, women did not inherit land.  After the census the women from one such family approached Moses to point out the unfairness in this custom.  Their father Zelophehad had not been a rebel like Dathan or Abiram; instead, he had "died for his own sin" (Num 27:3).  But like Dathan and Abiram, his name would not be preserved.  

There are lots of speculations in Jewish tradition about what "sin" of Zelophehad is in view in Num 27:3.  One popular one, proposed by Rabbi Akiva in the second century AD, is that Zelophehad was the Sabbath-breaker of Num 15:32-36.  However, there is no real evidence in the Bible for this identification.  Another sage, Judah ben Beteira, objected to Akiva's speculation.  If Akiva was right, Judah said, he had revealed a name that God chose not to reveal.  And if he was wrong, then Akiva had slandered an innocent party.  Either way, Judah said, God would hold him accountable (Sanhedrin 96b).  

Others have speculated that perhaps Zelophehad died at the hands of Canaanites in a previous battle--e.g., Num 21:1 or Num 14:39-45.  There is also nothing in the Bible to back up these guesses.  Most likely the daughters simply meant that he had died like all the rest of the older generation, for the collective sin of lacking the faith to proceed to the Promised Land.  

God honored the request of Zelophehad's daughters.  They, and other women after them, would be able to inherit land in situations where there was no male heir (Num 27:5-11).  Like the case of Second Passover (Num 9), this was a situation where where human initiative prompted a new Torah provision.

In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on November 5, 2022, Kyle Kettering discussed the bravery of these young women, who were at this point still unmarried (see Num 36).  

Seder 109: Numbers 8 and 9---Offering of the Levites, Second Passover

 Numbers 7 celebrates the large, identical gifts presented by the tribes of Israel at the dedication of the altar.  The tribe of Levi did not give one of those gifts because of its special role,  Instead it was receiving and processing those gifts.  

Moreover, the tribe of Levi itself constituted a gift to God, replacing the firstborn sons that God had saved at Passover.  They were presented to God as a "wave offering" (Num 8:11) as a kind of "living sacrifice" (think of Rom 12:1).    

Service at the tabernacle involved strenuous physical work.  A male Levite's active service extended from age 25 to age 50 (vv 24-26).  The census of Levites had counted men from ages 30-50 (Num 4:3).  Perhaps a Levite's service began with a 5-year apprenticeship.  On the other hand, the DSS and LXX have the census in Num 4:3 covering ages 25-50 years.  

Later in Israel's history, during the time of the kings, a Levite's service began at age 20 (1 Chron 23:24-27; 2 Chron 31:16-17).  By that point their duties were a little less strenuous and sensitive than they were at the tabernacle in the wilderness.

At Sinai the Israelites celebrated Passover on the anniversary of their rescue from Egypt.  Some who could not participate because of ritual uncleanness asked about the possibility of an opportunity for them to celebrate their redemption (Num 9:6-7).  Moses took the matter to God, who set up a "second Passover" for those unable to participate in the first one.  Here we see God acting as a patient and effective teacher.  

Planning was required for the celebration.  In the days of Jesus many arrived in Jerusalem early to take care of any ritual purification that would be required (John 11:55).  Of course, in the year of the crucifixion, there were some who were plotting Jesus' death, which would certainly lead to some additional "corpse uncleanness" (v 57).